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The Worst Person in the World
I saw this brilliant, funny, touching, singular movie twice in theaters—and I would have gone a third time if I could have. It’s a small, intimate story beautifully and vividly told. You may relate to Julie, the main character, or you may find her absolutely infuriating. Either way, she feels deeply real. Also: perfect soundtrack, perfect chemistry between all actors involved, made me want to move to Oslo. And I will probably think about that party crashing scene for the rest of my life.
—Andrea Whittle, Features Director
Triangle of Sadness
For at least two weeks after watching Triangle of Sadness, I could not help but bring it up in nearly every conversation. Contrary to popular belief, director Ruben Ostlund did not make this film about “eating the rich.” The idea for it actually stemmed from dramatics he witnessed in the fashion industry via his wife, the photographer Andrea Ostlund. Director Ostlund’s ability to humorously scrutinize the fashion world by placing his characters in extreme-yet-completely-plausible situations is brilliant. But the overarching questions he poses about power—and what an individual does with it when they have it—are what really keep me coming back to Triangle of Sadness. Also, every frame is beautifully filmed: from the subtle calm-before-the-storm shots of a bottle rolling on the floor to the chaotic everyone-is-vomiting-at-once scene. —Ivana Cruz, Senior Designer
Honorable Mention: Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
I have to give a shout out to Good Luck to You, Leo Grande because it is the romantic comedy that I have been waiting for: a movie that takes the genre somewhere fresh and realistically touches upon the complexities of sex. Daryl McCormack delivers a great performance that perfectly matches Emma Thompson. It is an entertaining yet profound film and is available for streaming on Hulu. —I.C.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
This film was so fun to see in theaters; to quote our nation’s poet laureate Nicole Kidman, “we come to this place for magic.” From roars of laughter at the “Raccacoonie” gag to collective gasps over Stephanie Hsu’s performance, the Daniels Brothers certainly know how to elicit a reaction. That much has been proven in nearly every scene of their two-hour family-drama-cum-immigrant-story-cum-metaverse tale. At the very least, it was nice to know I wasn’t the only one sniffling at some of the more heartbreaking scenes, like Waymond’s “In another life, I would have loved just doing laundry and taxes with you” line, or the inexplicably devastating conversation between two rocks. —Claire Valentine, Culture Editor
Decision to Leave
If I had to pick one film that is a must-watch in 2022, Decision to Leave would absolutely be it. This isn’t a controversial statement, either—filmmaker Park Chan-Wook won the Best Director award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for his latest work, which was nominated for the Best International Feature Film Oscar and was named one of the top five international films of 2022 by the National Board of Review. Director Park’s films—including the fantastic Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Thirst—reflect his philosophy that the most powerful way an artist can explore being human is by examining love, and Decision to Leave follows this thematic throughline. In it, the mild-mannered and insomniac detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il) is in the middle of investigating a man’s death in the mountains when he meets the dead man’s wife—and begins to fall for her enigmatic ways. —Maxine Wally, Senior Digital Editor
The Menu
I’ve seen enough movies to know that Anya-Taylor Joy was going to make it out alive, but I had no idea how and that’s what kept me in my seat. Perhaps the most entertaining and delightfully unpredictable film I’ve seen in years. —Faith Brown, Social Media Editor
Barbarian
Zach Cregger’s horror film was as effective in capturing the zeitgeist as it was terrifying (I actually screamed). A slew of red herrings fill the movie from start to finish: A heroine is put in an uncomfortable situation with a strange man (played by none other than the king of creep, Bill Skarsgård) when her Air Bnb is double-booked. But what you don’t expect is a much larger film about generational dissonance caused by violent misogyny. The characters’ semi-careless actions that’ll have you yelling, “Why would you do that?” and “DON’T go down there!” are essential in letting the audience’s imagination fester—and figuratively and literally lead you down an unexpected path. How fun! —Ysenia Valdez, Senior Social Media Editor
Nope
Just another horror masterpiece from Jordan Peele! He gets me every time with his stunning visuals, subtle humor, and clever soundtracks. And to put it simply: I’m here for all things Keke Palmer. —Ashley Peña, Digital Designer
All Quiet on the Western Front
What can I say? I’m a sucker for a beautifully filmed, tragic war story. To be honest, though, it was my boyfriend who urged me to watch All Quiet on the Western Front, and I’m very glad he did. The cinematography is breathtaking—a harsh contrast to the story at hand, which depicts boys forced to fight and die for someone else’s war. This film is not for the faint of heart, but the realistic portrayal of trench warfare doesn’t seem excessive. Instead, it feels extremely necessary given the topic and the realities of World War I. If All Quiet doesn’t win Best International Feature Film, I would like a word with the Academy. —Carolyn Twersky, Staff Writer
Pearl
I love a heroine on the brink of madness. A compelling prequel that illuminated Mia Goth’s acting chops to the umpteenth degree (and gave A24 heads a worthy Halloween costume), Pearl is a must-watch. —Y.V.
The Northman
Terribly gory and androcentric, I loved The Northman for all the wrong reasons. The film is based on the legend of Amleth, and is steeped in Norse mythology; Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth, a Viking prince who sets out to avenge his father’s death. The cast (Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Björk among them) is fantastic. It’s safe to say watching The Northman was the most fun I had at the movies in 2022, albeit while holding my breath basically the entire time. The battle scenes were ridiculous—but entertaining beyond belief. —M.W.
Bones and All
Since its first Leonard Cohen-soundtracked trailer dropped, I haven’t been able to get Bones and All out of my mind. Yes, it’s gruesome and hard to stomach, but the twisted take on a classic outsider, coming-of-age story is tragically relatable and thoroughly romantic. Like many of Luca Guadganino’s movies, Bones and All was shot entirely on film, and Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet are given space to shine amid the darkness. —C.V.
God’s Creatures
Everyone is talking about Paul Mescal’s other movie from 2022, Aftersun (and for good reason!). But I loved the quiet, truly terrifying arthouse film he made with the inimitable Emily Watson in 2022: God’s Creatures. The A24 movie, directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, centers a young Irish man named Brian (Mescal), whose mother, Aileen (Watson), is his biggest supporter and champion. But when she tells a lie for him after he commits a heinous act, their family and community are nearly ripped apart. God’s Creatures is dark—both in color palette and mood—and the film’s buzzing, grating soundtrack creates a menacing energy. Watching this was the most scared and moved I’d felt simultaneously all year. —M.W.
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